Privatisation of care contract abandoned

NHS bosses in the north west have abandoned a plan to hand an urgent care contract to a private company following an outcry.


NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had been poised to award the contract for Runcorn Urgent Care Centre (UCC) at Halton Hospital and a Widnes UCC on to a private bidder following a competitive tender.


Dr Andrew Davies, Halton CCG chief officer, has now confirmed in a letter to Labour MP for Weaver Valley Mike Amesbury and Halton MP Derek Twigg that the CCG governing body has decided "to 
abandon" the move.


Dr Davies said the existing NHS providers will continue to run the centres "in the interim" at NHS Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Runcorn, and Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Widnes.


Members of the public services union UNISON joined Mike Amesbury at Runcorn Town Hall and outside both urgent care units in protests during June over the privatisation plan.


Mike Amesbury tweeted: “Delighted that commissioners have backed down scrapped plans to privatise urgent care services in my constituency, an issue I raised only yesterday with Matt Hancock. Working with unions, Labour colleagues and community activists we refused to let this stand.”


https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/urgent-care-privatisation-plan-scrapped-16517574